Amid crisis, Jandiala Guru craftsmen cry for help

GS Paul

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, May 3

Thatheras of Jandiala Guru, who represent the traditional technique of manufacturing brass and copper utensils in Punjab, have now been endorsed in the National List of Intangible Culture Heritage 2020. They had received the UNESCO’s coveted tag of intangible cultural heritage in 2014.

It is a matter of pride for Punjab, yet in the absence of any support, the community has been struggling for make ends meet.

The artisans allege that amid lockdown, no relief material was supplied to them and cited discrimination by the government representatives.

Identified during Mahrarja Ranjit Singh era, they migrated from Gujranwala in Pakistan and established themselves at Bazar Thatherian (market of the Thatheras), Gali Kashmirian, in the small town of Jandiala Guru, about 10 km from Amritsar.

Hardev Singh, a member of the community, said they were already reeling under economic crisis and the Covid pandemic had further compounded their problems. At present, out of the total 200 thathera families, more than half of them couldn’t even manage two square meals a day since the lockdown was imposed.

“The coveted titles of UNESCO and now national recognition won’t bring about any change in our lives. We used to earn Rs500 after working 12 hours in a day. SGPC and Pingalwara society used to help us out by buying our creations, but this global pandemic has broken our backs. We will not be able to sell our artwork for a long time as they don’t come under essential commodities,” he said.

The state government initiated a project named ‘project virasat’, to uplift the lives of this underprivileged community through different social entrepreneurship projects, but it never take off.

Singh said in 2018, their hopes were revived when former minister Navjot Sidhu approached them with the Amritsar DC and tourism heads and announced Rs10 lakh corpus fund from the government’s side, but it never happened.

Sahil, an artisan, said he opted to work with a cloth merchant instead of carrying on with his father Shammi Kumar’s trade of utensil making, adding that, “I didn’t prefer to continue in the business of utensil making as there was no income. Due to lockdown, I am also jobless these days. The politicians representing our locality discriminate while distributing ration and relief material. I request the administration to provide us with at least essential items till the time normalcy returns.”

Dr Sukhdev Singh, state convener, INTACH, who has also authored a book ‘Thatheras of Jandiala Guru: An Insight into the Culture, Craft and Community’ demanded the state government for an economic package for the community to ensure survival of this traditional art.